How Does Scoring Work In Wiffleball?

The pastime of Wiffleball is well-loved across backyards and parks of the United States and beyond. Like the All-American sport of baseball, Wiffleball follows the same rules and scoring as baseball, with a few minor twists. Points, in Wiffleball and baseball, are referred to as runs. Read on to learn how a run is scored in the game of Wiffleball!  

Scoring in Wiffleball

Wiffleball is widely played across the United States. However, regulated games and events are less common, making Wiffleball more of a pastime than an official sport. That being said, Wiffleball “fields” come in all shapes and sizes. They may be in parks, backyards, or even alleyways. Wiffleball players often make do with the space and equipment they have, but one thing all Wiffleball fields should have in common is four evenly spaced out bases and a pitching mound in the center.

To score in Wiffleball, players follow the same rules and strategies as the sport of baseball. The Wiffleball enters play when it leaves the pitcher’s hands and begins making its way toward the batter at the plate. After a batter hits the ball, they may run to first base and attempt to make it there safely without being thrown “out.”

In other words, they must make it to the base before the opposing team gets the ball to the base. The goal of the batter, and each runner on base, is to reach the final, fourth base. This final base is referred to as home plate. Each time a batter or runner touches home plate, one run is scored. 

Home Runs

In baseball, the home run rules are clear: any ball that lands in fair territory, over the home run fence, allows the batter to freely round all four bases and score one run. With the unusual field setup of many Wiffleball fields, most Wiffleball games count a home run, even if the ball lands in foul territory. A physical fence also may not be present on a Wiffleball field. If this is the case, teams should agree on what constitutes a home run before the game begins. 

As in baseball, all the runners present on the bases when the home run-hitting batter steps up to the plate, plus the batter themselves, are allowed to progress to home base when a home run is hit. Home runs result in a run scored for the batter and each runner on base, meaning they can be worth up to four runs.

Pegging

One of the primary differences between Wiffleball and baseball is the allowance of pegging in Wiffleball. In baseball, the only way to get a runner on base out is to throw a live ball to the next base before they reach it or to tag them while they are off a base and the ball is secured in your glove. Wiffleball, however, is played with a light plastic ball rather than a heavier baseball. The lightness of the ball allows for a third option to get runners out, referred to as pegging.

Fielders may throw the ball directly at runners as long as the ball hits the runner below the neck, and as long as the runner is not safe on a base, the runner will be called out. Wiffleball players must reach home base without being pegged by the opposing team, or otherwise called out, in order to score.

FAQ